The 2015 Pleasanton, CA Fly Fishing Show

I just got back from The Fly Fishing Show in Pleasanton, CA last weekend where I had a booth.  There were a few other bamboo rod guys there, Joe Bradley, Robert Bolt, TC Robertson, and it was great to catch up with them.  I didn’t pay too much attention to what the graphite guys were showing off but I did notice that Echo is coming out with a line of fiberglass rods.  I got a chance to cast their new fiberglass switch rod….it has  the classic feel of a fiber glass rod…definitely not like bamboo but it was fun to cast.  It’s nice to see something else out in the industry other than ultra-fast graphite.  Here is a photo of me at my booth at the show:

IMG_20150222_115000679_HDR (580x327)

Another Bamboo Switch Rod Heads Out The Door

I just finished another bamboo switch rod this week that will be heading out to a client next week.  This is a 10′  6″  5 wt Hollow Built rod that effortlessly throws a 300 to 350 grain Scandi Line.  My light switch rods have been getting quite a bit of interest from trout anglers who enjoy two-handed casting and have been looking for a bamboo switch rod for casting streamer flies and soft hackles.

A 10'  6"  5 wt Hollow-Built Switch Rod

A 10′ 6″ 5 wt Hollow-Built Switch Rod

Hand Planing Bamboo for Switch Rods

It’s been a very busy past several days for me in the rod shop.  I’ve started two 10′  6″  5 wt switch rods and have been planning the bamboo strips for the butt, mid, and tip sections of both rods.  It always amazes me how much bamboo shavings come off these thin strips from the planning operation…a mountain of shavings!  And, using a small block plan to do this isn’t exactly an ergonomically friendly process so I take breaks often.  I finished the planning this morning…here is what it looks like!

Hand Planing Bamboo

Hand Planing Bamboo

My New Bamboo Rod Shop In Sisters, Oregon

Mary Ann and I just sold our house in Corvallis, Oregon after 18 years and moved about 120 miles to the east in the town of Sisters, Oregon.  We’re both very excited about the move and our new house, and we are much closer to terrific year-around trout fishing…and much drier weather.  Mary Ann has also started guiding in the fall and spring timeframes for Jeff Perin of The Fly Fisher’s Place in Sisters.  But, I don’t have a fully set-up and functional workshop for my bamboo rod building at the new house.  For now, I’ve shoe-horned my big tools into a corner of the garage.  And, I’ve put up plastic in the corner for a make-shift rod dipping operation.  In fact, later today I’ll be dipping the fourth coat of varnish on a new 8′ 0″ 3 piece 6 wt. rod.  Finally, I’ve temporarily taken over a bedroom in the house for rod wrapping and finishing work…sharing that space with fly tying.  I’m fully functional and building bamboo rods to meet all my orders, but it’s very cramped in this new arrangement.  I’ll break ground in the spring on a complete new rod shop…boy is that ever an exciting prospect!  Here are a few pictures of my temporary rod building set-up:

My big tools in the garage.

My big tools in the garage.

My big tools in the garage.

My big tools in the garage.

My "rod dipping" room in the garage.

My “plastic-walled rod dipping” room in the garage.

My rod dipping set-up.

My rod dipping set-up.

Rod wrapping and finishing.

Rod wrapping and finishing.

My Summer Bamboo Rod Shop

While I’m here in Stanley, Idaho with Mary Ann for the summer, I wasn’t able to bring along my entire rod building shop.  But, with a little planning, I was able to bring enough tools/supplies to continue building bamboo rods…when I’m not on the river fishing!  I prepared bamboo strips for 5 rods ahead of time and brought them with me, along with a planning form and my gluing binder.  So, I can plane bamboo and glue up blanks while I’m here.  In a little corner of our cabin, I’ve set up a planning table and a small plane sharpening station….works pretty well.  I’m currently planning strips for an 8′  0″  6 wt. rod.  Here is a look:

My Stanley Bamboo Rod Shop

My Stanley Bamboo Rod Shop

My Planing Set-Up

My Planing Set-Up

My Plane Sharpening Set-Up

My Plane Sharpening Set-Up, Sharing Space With My Fly Reels